Literary Distractions
by ahrocks08
Summary: Ginny is given a list of summer reading to do, and tries to get reading, but keeps getting distracted by her thoughts on the books and Harry...


**DisclaimerI don't own Harry Potter, nor Jane Eyre, Romeo and Juliet, Love Story, Wicked, Pride and Prejudice, The Duke and I, nor The Scarlet Letter. Hehe. Bet you're wondering what you are getting yourself into.**

**A wise (and beloved) teacher once told me (technically us since it was a class) to write about what I know. It just so happens that I know movies, music, and books. And the difficulty of reading required reading (see author's note in **_**Can't Get You Out of My Head**_**) So, I wrote something that reflects my knowledge of books. (If you want to see my knowledge of movies, check out **_**I Wish Gene Kelly Was My Age**_**). Shout out to Kitch! Whoo. **

**Didn't that sneaky advertising rock?**

**I am dedicating this story to lovesreading2 who wanted a Harry/Ginny story. Oh, and I don't think I'll get that 20-25 stories done before I leave. I'm freaking out enough as it is. I had a major freak out when I remembered that I have to buy my own tennis shoes for college. (I share with my sister) Not to mention the fact that I am addicted to reading Twilight fanfic. Seriously, I can't stop.**

**Shout out to Mary! 788 threads on Facebook is ridiculously AMAZING. And no, I never got around to smooshing Edward's shoe. Can't wait to see if they cut us off at 1000…**

**Literary Distractions**

_Harry's coming over today!_ I sing-songed to myself. I was so excited! It had been _one whole day _since I had seen him last. I was going through a withdrawal. Hey, don't give me that patronizing look. I had to go almost a whole year without him. It still hurts to be away from him. Besides, if your boyfriend was as great as Harry, you'd want him to be around all the time, too.

_Harry's coming over…Ginny! Concentrate! _I berated myself. _You are supposed to be reading. If mum comes in here and sees you…not reading, she's going to flip! Stop being a procrastinator, and get it done!_

I groaned. I was a real tough cookie during times like these. _I _was even afraid of myself sometimes. And so I started reading my 7th novel of the summer. _The Scarlet Letter_. Luckily it was my last.

I skipped the introductory thing. It looked too long and a real big waste of time. Then I started reading. Chapter One: The Prison Door

_A throng of bearded men, in sad-colored garments, and gray, steeple-crowned hats, intermixed with women, some wearing hoods and others bareheaded_, _was assembled in front of a wooded edifice, the door of which was heavily timbered with oak, and studded with iron spikes…_

I stopped reading. Why, oh why, do authors do this to me? Why not just say 'there was a group of people dressed in old fashioned clothing standing around a big, heavy, wooden door'? It was a lot easier to understand, and sounded much better. Maybe I should become an author; all my stories would be short and easier to understand. Ugh. I really need to read.

_The founders of a new colony, whatever Utopia of human virtue and happiness they might originally project, have invariably recognized it among their earliest practical necessities…._

_I really can't wait to see Harry. The moment I do I'll run to him, jump in his arms and kiss him until…_

"Ginny, I was just wondering what you were wanting for dinner, I know that Harry is coming, and…"

I hurriedly grabbed my book and pretended that I had been reading. Unfortunately, she didn't buy it at all. Apparently you have to be reading it _right side up_ to understand it. Trust me, my mum knew I wasn't talented (yes, talented) like Luna was.

"Ginny, you need to read," my mum was nice enough to remind me.

I rolled my eyes. "I know, mum, it's just that I don't feel like reading anything required. Besides what is the point of reading all of these novels? There's no magic. And I obviously didn't get the Muggle-loving trait from dad."

Mum just shrugged her shoulders and gave me a look that clearly said "Just get it done" before she left the room and headed back to the kitchen, forgetting what she had come in here to ask me.

See, the reason I am reading all of these so-called Muggle classics is because my new Muggle Studies teacher, Professor Walden, sent all the seventh years taking her class a list of books to read so that we can go over them when we get back to school in September. The list looked like this:

_Jane Eyre_ by Charlotte Brontë

_Romeo and Juliet_ by William Shakespeare

_The Duke and I_ by Julia Quinn

_Love Story _by Erich Segal

_Wicked _by Gregory Maguire

_Pride and Prejudice _by Jane Austen

_Scarlet Letter_ by Nathaniel Hawthorne.

The list sounded ok when I got it, but now, I'm questioning her tactics. Because really, they are all random, and why did she make us read the third one on the list? I think I have a permanent blush.

Being my normal, crazy self, I decided to read all the books in order. So I read _Jane Eyre_ first. I must have been asleep through most of it, because all I remember is Mr. Rochester's crazy (literally) wife. Bertha, I think was her name. She reminded me a bit of Mad-Eye Moody, I think. I really don't remember. Anyway, so when we discuss _Jane Eyre _in class the only thing I will be able to say is that Bertha reminded me of Mad-Eye Moody. Great way you make an impression.

Then I read _Romeo and Juliet_, after I figured out what the heck Shakespeare was talking about, it turned out to be a really good story. You know, except for the part where they both die. I groaned out loud when Romeo killed himself. If would have just _waited_, instead of being a love-struck, impulsive fool, they could have lived happily ever after. Men. They can't do anything right.

But really, I know love can be powerful, but is it powerful enough to ignore what you have been raised to believe. I mean, Juliet was raised to think of all the Montagues as the enemy. If Harry had been a Death Eater, I'm pretty sure I would not be together with him now. Same concept, right? And besides the whole enemy thing, they're so _young_. Juliet was like 13. And I know for a fact that when I was 13, although I loved Harry, I was, one, not going to tell him that, and two, _way_ too young to get married. Besides, Harry was a bit preoccupied with the Triwizard Tournament to worry about getting married. Not to mention the fact that my mum would kill me, and Harry, too, probably. Huh. _That _would have changed things a bit.

By this time, _The Scarlet Letter _had fallen on the floor and closed, but I hadn't noticed. I was too busy ranting in my head.

Then I was forced to read _The Duke and I_. And, well there was a good storyline to it, but after awhile I had a permanent blush, and I would always hide the book when my mum came into the room. I can't believe I had to read that. For school, no less.

After that, I read _Love Story_. I really loved this story. Although, I wish I would have remembered the beginning of the book at the end. Maybe that would have prepared me for what must have been the longest crying session in the history of Ginny Weasley. And it was over a book, too! I cried longer over a book than I ever cried over Harry, and that is saying something. Seriously, had I remembered the first line of the story,_ What do you say about a twenty-five-year-old girl who died?_ I might not have been so emotional about it in the end.

I still loved the story. Their conversations were the greatest. I've always wanted to do that, you know, bicker and play word hockey, but I haven't been able to find anyone who can think quickly enough to keep up with me. And Harry won't do it; he doesn't want to hurt my feelings. Like he could. I can keep my emotions in check. Well except for when I am reading a sad book. Why, oh why did she have to die?

I feel like crying again.

Moving on. After I got my emotions back in check after finishing Love Story, (it took a couple days, I just blamed it on PMS, and no one said anything) I read a fairly new novel, _Wicked_.

Apparently it's based off some famous Muggle movie. Whatever, I just read the book. I had to keep looking back at the map of Oz to figure out what was going on most of the time. It was such a hard book to get into. Very political, but amusing, how could you not enjoy a green skinned girl named Elphaba, who is against the Wizard, a spoiled witch named Glinda, and a no armed, spoiled witch named Nessarose?

While I was busy giggling as I tried to picture Nessarose, my mum came in and saw me not reading again.

I don't know how she does it, but she always knows when I am not doing what I am supposed to be doing. Creepy.

So after I got a lecture on how I could enjoy the rest of my summer (or what is left of it) more if I would just finish reading, I picked up my book and continued reading. I was reading more about the big gathering of people, and was finally starting to get into it, wondering what in the world Hester Prynne did that was causing such a big scene.

Then I remembered that I was thinking about _Wicked_, and I got distracted again.

Even though I really liked it, I don't think I could read it again. It took way too much brain power. It took me until half way through the book to figure out what happened in the beginning. And then it took me way too long to figure out what Munchkins were. Maybe it would've helped if I had seen the Muggle movie it is based off.

Then I read _Pride and Prejudice_. It was awesome. Elizabeth Bennet is my new favorite fictional character. Her wit rivals that of Jenny Cavilleri from _Love Story_, but while Jenny was witty and independent in the 1970s, Elizabeth was witty and independent in the early 1800s, and I'm pretty sure that this certain quality was looked down upon. So therefore, Elizabeth was witty, independent, _and _brave.

About half way through the book, though, I was starting to get a little frustrated with Lizzy. Why couldn't she just get over herself, and just tell Mr. Darcy that she loved him? And then, she goes and refuses him when he asks her to marry him. I remember throwing my book across the room, earning concerned, bemused expressions from all of my family. Or maybe it was because I kept muttering: _stupid Elizabeth, just say yes. He's HOT, _but I'm not sure.

So when they finally did get together, I caused everyone to stare at me again because I had to do a victory dance for Elizabeth. She finally listened to me. She would have saved herself a lot of heartache if she wasn't so stubborn.

So after I finally got done thinking about all of the books I had read, I picked _The Scarlet Letter _back up and began reading it again. I was really starting to wonder who the father of her baby was, when I heard a _pop _in the yard.

_Harry's here!_

I jumped up, fully intending to jump into his arms, but he must have had the same idea as me, because we met in the kitchen and were thoroughly enjoying ourselves, when my mum interrupted us.

"Ginny, have you seen…oh, dear"

"Mum!" Harry and I sprang apart, looking at each other, then at my mum. If my expression looked anything like Harry's, which is probably did, we looked like to people who had just gotten caught in a very compromising position. Which, I guess we were.

Then, all at once, we both started stammering out excuses, I'm not sure what we were trying to say, but whatever it was, it didn't make sense. And to my surprise, all my mum did was smile, and say "Sorry to interrupt."

Then she walked back out, and we heard her mutter something about 'young love' and 'reminds me of Arthur and I when we were that age'.

Harry and I both looked at each other with shocked expressions, shrugged and continued where we left off before my mum interrupted us.

To my annoyance, I heard a clicking sound outside the window and recognized, Snorky, Luna's owl, with a note in its beak. I reluctantly walked over to the window to retrieve the note.

_Ginny,_

_I just finished reading all of my books! They are so good. I really liked _The Scarlet Letter_ I can't believe Dimmesdale was the father! I was so shocked! How far along are you? I can't wait to see you when school starts! Talk to you soon!_

_Luna_

I groaned. Why did she have to give away the ending? Now it is going to make it that much harder to finish.

I shrugged my shoulders once again, and continued with Harry in hopes that I would not get interrupted for a third time.

**A/N Ok, so I like this, but I'm not sure if you guys will, I think you would have to understand at least the plot to all of these stories for this story to live up to its humor, (or what I this is humorous) but I really wanted to get this out tonight. So here it is! Whoo!**

**For the record, I respect all of these books, there is one I am not a big fan of, but I'm not going to tell you which one it is. Just keep in mind that Ginny's opinion does not necessarily reflect my opinion…**

**I 'ship' the button "Throw Me The Shimmy" (see bio page if you are curious)**

**And last but certainly not least, I would LOVE to hear what you think! And the only way to do that is to review…hint hint! **


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